#THE CALCUTTA PORT (PILOTAGE) ACT, 1948 
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##ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
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SECTIONS 

1. Short title and commencement. 
2. Definitions. 
3. Commissioners’ duty to maintain pilots. 
4. Appointment of pilots. 
5. Rules regulating Pilots. 
6. Levy of pilotage fees. 
7. Pilot age fees and fines and penalties levied under the Act. 
8. [Repealed.] 
9. Power to transfer moneys from the general account to pilot age account and vice versa. 
10. Application of certain provisions of Bengal Act 3 of 1890. 
11. [Repealed.] 


 
#THE CALCUTTA PORT (PILOTAGE) ACT, 1948 

##ACT NO. 33 OF 1948 

[16th April, 1948.] 

An  Act  to  provide  for  the  transfer  of  control  over  pilotage  on  the  River  Hooghly  to  the 
  Commissioners for the Port of Calcutta. 

  WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the transfer of control over pilotage on the River Hooghly to 
the Commissioners for the Port of Calcutta and for other matters incidental thereto, and to make certain 
consequential amendments in the Calcutta Pilots Act 12 of 1859; 

It is hereby enacted as follows:— 

1. **Short title and commencement.**—(1) This Act may be called the Calcutta Port (Pilotage) 
Act, 1948. 

(2) It  shall  come  into  force  on such date as  the  Central  Government  may,  by  notification  in  the 
Official Gazette, appoint in this behalf. 

2. **Definitions.**—In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context, — 

  (a) “Appointed day” means the date on which this Act comes into force; 

  (b)  “Commissioners''  means  the  Commissioners for  the  Part  of  Calcutta  incorporated  under  the 
Calcutta Port Act, 1890 (Ben, Act 3 of 1890); 

  (c) “Hooghly area” means the part, of the Hooghly River extending from the Port of Calcutta to 
the sea to which section 31 of the Indian Ports Act, 1908 ( 15 of 1908), has been extended. 

3. **Commissioners’ duty to maintain pilots.**—As from the appointed day it shall be the duty of the 
Commissioners  to  maintain  pilots  for  the  safe  navigation  of  vessels  in  the  Hooghly  area  and  the 
Commissioners  shall  be  bound  to  maintain  a  sufficient  number  of  pilots  for  the  purpose  as  may  be 
prescribed by the Central Government from time to time. 

4. **Appointment of pilots.**—No person shall be appointed to be a pilot by the Commissioners who is 
not  for  the  time  being  authorised  by  the  Central  Government  under  the  provisions  of'  the  Indian  Ports 
Act, 1908 (15 of 1908), to pilot vessels. 

5. **Rules regulating Pilots.**—(1) The Commissioners may from time to time make rules— 

  (a) For fixing and regulating the salaries, wages and allowances for pilot  age to be received by 
the Pilots, and 

  (b) For regulating the behaviour and conduct of pilots, 

and may enforce the observance of such rules by the imposition of pecuniary penalties not exceeding two 
hundred rupees for every breach thereof or by suspension or deprivation of appointment or otherwise, as 
to them may appear expedient: 

Provided  that  any  such  order  made  by  the  Commissioners  shall,  as  respects  any  officer  whose  salary 
amounts  to  or  exceeds  one  thousand  rupees,  be  subject  to  the  previous  sanction  of  the  Central 
Government. 

(2) No such rules shall take effect until they are approved by the Central Government and published 
in the Official Gazette. 

6. **Levy of pilotage fees.**—As  from  the  appointed day  the  Commissioners  shall  be  entitled  to levy 
fees  for  the  pilot  age  of  vessels  in  the  Hooghly  area  at  rates  fixed  under  the  Indian  Ports 
Act, 1908 (15 of 1908). 

7. **Pilot age fees and fines and penalties levied under the Act.**—All fees for pilotage and all fines 
and penalties levied under this Act from pilot or other persons employed in the pilot service, except fines 
and  penalties  imposed  by  a  Court,  shall  be  accounted  for  and  expended  by  the  Commissioners  in 
accordance with the provisions of section 36 of the Indian Ports Act, 1908 (15 of 1908).

8. **[Expenditure  in  pilotage  account.]—  Repealed  by  the  Port  Trust  and  Ports  (Amendment)  Act, 
1951 (35 of 1951), s. 194 (w.e.f. 16-7-1951).**

9. **Power to transfer moneys from the general account to pilot age account and vice versa.**—The 
Commissioners  shall  have  the  power,  with  the  previous  sanction  of  the  Central  Government,  to  apply 
any sum out of the  moneys  credited  to  the  general  account  towards  meeting  deficits,  if  any,  in  the 
pilotage account maintained under section 36 of the Indian Ports Act, 1908 (15 of 1908) and to transfer 
the whole or part of the surplus funds, if any, in such pilot age account to the general account. 

10. **Application  of  certain  provisions  of  Bengal  Act  3  of  1890.**—Section 18, 19, 24B, 29 to 34 
(both inclusive), 47 to 54 (both inclusive), 55, 57, 58 and 69 to 80A (both inclusive) of the Calcutta Port 
Act, 1890 are hereby incorporated in this Act subject to the following modifications, namely:— 

  (a) That the references in the said sections to the Calcutta Port Act, 1890 (Ben. Act 3 of 1890) 
shall be taken as references to this Act; 

  (b) That in clause (b) of section 19, for the words “the tolls, dues, rates, rents and charges”, the 
words “the pilotage fees” shall be substituted; 

  (c) That the proviso to sub-section (2) of section 30 shall be omitted; 

  (d) That in sub-section (1) of section 34, the words “the Deputy Chairman or to” shall be omitted. 

  (e) That sub-section (2) of section 34 shall be omitted.

11. *[Amendment  of  the  Calcutta  Pilots  Act  12  of  1859]  Rep.  by  the  Repealing  and  Amending 
Act, 1950 (Act 35 of 1950), s. 2 and the First Schedule.*